Starwood Preferred Guest - W Scottsdale [Master Thread]

W Hotel Scottsdale opened (finally) today, Sept. 5.

I drove by yesterday and I must say that it had to have taken a herculean effort to get from where things appeared yesterday to a grand opening today.

Here's a story from the front page of the Arizona Republic.

W Hotel raises wow factor in Scottsdale

by Megan Finnerty
The Arizona Republic

When the W Scottsdale Hotel & Residences opens today, it will bring to Old Town three upscale bars, the Los Angeles-based, style-conscious restaurant Sushi Roku and 224 rooms with buzz-worthy design. But it also will usher in an era of $26 overnight valet parking and $559-a-night hotel rooms.

The swanky international chain is credited with developing the boutique-hotel market, emphasizing a hip, edgy vibe through innovative decor and splashy bars and restaurants. W Hotels are known to elevate the quality of nightlife where they open, and bar and hotel managers throughout Scottsdale have been preparing since Triyar Hospitality LLC broke ground for the W in 2005.

Neighboring Axis/Radius nightclub spent $1.5 million on a remodel in 2006 with the Starwood Hotels & Resorts-run property in mind.

The nearby Mondrian Scottsdale hotel revamped its pool, turning it into a Skybar similar to the one at its sister Los Angeles property, and upgraded Asia de Cuba's patio to increase the restaurant's capacity and year-round usage. Randy Smith, who owns the nearby, elegant SIX Lounge, has been working with promoters to elevate SIX's image and keep the right kind of well-dressed, free-spending clients in his club so it feels right for W guests.

But all this comes at a price. (See the entire story here.) (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2008/09/05/20080905wopening0905.html)

And in the business section of today's Republic:

A home with top-of-the-line hotel perks
Opening of W Hotel puts more high-end condos on the market

by Peter Corbett
The Arizona Republic

Hotels have long sold cushy robes and beauty products to their guests. Even their beds are for sale nowadays.

The idea is that if guests liked their hotel "experience," then why not sell some of it to them to take home?

That, of course, has been supersized as hotels now offer the whole suite, with sales of luxury condominiums.

Owners with deep pockets get all the hotel amenities - restaurants, room service and spa - with their condo keys.

W Scottsdale Hotel & Residences, set to open today, is the latest to tap into this emerging real-estate niche.

Los Angeles-based Triyar Hospitality Inc., the hotel owner, is offering 18 residences atop its sleek glass and steel hotel southeast of Scottsdale and Camelback roads.

The seven-story W will have 224 hotel rooms.

W's 18 residences will be among the costliest condos in a pricey Scottsdale condo market. (See read the full story here.) (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2008/09/05/20080905biz-sr-realestate0905.html)

It's currently a level 5 (12K SPG points/night).

I'm there next week but it's hard to justify the W over the others in the area with C&P and better rates. I'm surprised they're opening so high... good for them if it's booked!

Reservations will be taken for check in on September 11th. The hotel is still not 100% complete, but is looking great!

$26 for parking? In Scottsdale????

Spent last weekend at this property, and on the whole, had a great stay.

Got an e-mail up front advising that although the hotel was open, their suites weren't ready yet - which they'd normally look to upgrade Plats to. Popped in whilst staying at the Phoenician, just to reassure ourselves that the hotel was actually finished (which it is fundamentally, soft furnishing of the suites aside). Got a tour of the hotel, and the staff couldn't be more helpful.

Upgraded to a Fabulous room, with a patio on the Zen garden. Room was a good size, shower (no bath) and an outdoor shower on the patio.

It's fair to say the W is something of a hot spot on the Scottsdale night life circuit. If you're a light sleeper, I'd suggest staying elsewhere, or at the very least getting a room well back from the pool area. The party continues to 4am or thereabouts on a Friday & Saturday night. Our Zen garden room was close enough to hear a bit of background noise, but not sufficient to prevent sleeping (phew!).

Staff are unfailingly helpful, and very keen to assist. For example we wondered about spending some time using the pools at the Kierland (sitting on Sunset Beach next to the beautiful people gets a bit tiring after 3 days ;) :D ). All arranged no problem at all, with no fuss.

Only grumble was the pool temperature - bit on the chilly side. Whilst a heated pool might not seem a necessity, I reckon the W's pool was down in the 55F range - parky!

Parking is indeed $26 a night (valet), but the valet team is good, never any issues having the car there promptly ^

I stayed there about a month ago. The place was in great shape since it was new. the rooms were kind of interesting where it's a big square. The bathroom, shower and bathroom sinks were separated from the rest of the room using a big glass sliding door, very swanky. I can't believe the rates they're charging though. I forget what I paid but it was in the 200s, but in checking the rates now, I think they're over 300! Interestingly the place felt fairly deserted.

Sushi Roku is in the hotel. Good restaurant if you're into more "new style" sushi. I was served by a real japanese sushi chef (imagine that)..they even imported him all the way from ... pasadena :p (for the week).

Overall, nice hotel, but for my overnight business trips, I'll save over $100 and stay at the Sheraton.

Checked in this weekend at the W Scottsdale for a Saturday night, all in all, a pretty nice stay.

As Plat was not offered an upgrade to a suite to Zen Garden room, but given our timing and amount of time actually in the room, I didn't make an issue of it. I did notice however that there were 2 suites available for booking on the SPG website.

Concierge (and all staff) were great - found us a very cool sushi spot (Stingray) and didn't push on Sushi Roku. Great restaurant within a 10 minute walk from the hotel and definitely a great price point.

Valet service was excellent, car was ready each time we called down and (best of all) for some reason it did not show up on the folio, so we tipped graciously of course!

Room (338) was at the very end of the hall, away from the street and pool, very quiet, even with window open all night.

Pool bar was great at night, and pool on a Sunday afternoon was sunny and not too busy... in general, apart from the nightlife, the hotel did not seem at capacity.

All and all, very nice new hotel, great location and would stay again.


T.

In today's Arizona Republic. . .

W hotel parties dispute payment
Developer, contractors in $20 million battle

by Dawn Gilbertson
The Arizona Republic

Hunt Construction Group shows off the luxury JW Marriott Desert Ridge and Sheraton Wild Horse Pass resorts in the portfolio of projects on its Web site. But there are no snapshots of its latest hometown hotel project: the trendy W Scottsdale.

Hunt and the hotel's developer, Triyar Hospitality, are locked in a legal battle that threatens foreclosure of the 224-room property and hangs a cloud of uncertainty over it during an already challenging time for hotels.

At issue in the case: $20 million Hunt says is still owed for work on the hotel, which opened in early September after repeated delays. It is Arizona's first W, the hip sister to the Sheraton and Westin chains, and became an instant social hotspot with its sushi restaurant and bars. . . (See the entire article here.) (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2009/01/11/20090111biz-wscottsdale.html)

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2009/01/21/20090121biz-wscottsdale0122.html

HSH Nordbank,a German lender, filed a notice of trustee's sale, the legal precursor to a forced sale of the 224-roomproperty near Scottsdale Fashion Square. A public auction is scheduled for April 15 unless the matter is resolved before then or the auction is postponed.

Well that was quick... didn't this place just open less than a year ago?

What will this mean for W Scottsdale Insider? ;)

What will this mean for W Scottsdale Insider? ;)

He'll be an outsider?

Well Hello There,

First everyone knows I dont work there, but I might need to change my handle. :( I dont think the hotel will close, but who knows. As Starwood only manages it, it wouldn't be that big of a deal as several hotels leave starwood each year

What will this mean for W Scottsdale Insider? ;)

Handle changed to History of former W Scottsdale Insider. Kind of long I know.

Well Hello There,


Well Goodbye There. ;)

Well maybe i can change to WHotelInsider, since I know all about W hotels :D

starwood likely covered by a non-disturb. i wouldnt count it out yet.

I just stayed here last weekend. What a great property and the location is the best in Scottsdale. I can't believe they would let this place close down. Everything about the hotel and service (yes, service) was top notch. As a Plat I was upgraded to a Cool Corner Suite complete with a new Dell computer on the desk with free internet service and a Bose home theater system attached to the flat screen. The property also has a Sushi Roku and a great pool that converts to a big social scene on the weekends. If you want a little more, it's directly across the street from a large mall with lots of restaurants. The other side of the property is a stone throw away from a number of nightclubs. Old Town Scottsdale is a short 5 minute walk down Scottsdale Blvd.

It would be a huge mistake for Starwood or Triyar to let this property go. Hopefully, they can come to some type of resolution. I noticed in my email this morning they were sending notices for discounted rooms. I guess I better get as many stays in as possible before April 15th.

hotelchatter is reporting more....

http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/2/16/152426/366/hotels/W_Scottsdale_To_Close_At_the_End_of_2009_

There are rumors the W Scottsdale will be closing the end of 2009.

I'm really sad to hear this as Scottsdale is such a great city and the W was a great property. However, Starwood will still manage the Westin Kierland which has great platinum upgrades and lounge as well as the Phoenician which they own.

Want to visit the W Scottsdale before they close and your SPG Platinum? Why not use your Free Weekend Night award as this is a Category 5 property!

If you have any questions about any of these properties or any Starwood properties in Scottsdale/Phoenix area, don't hesitate to ask!

Police: Rap producer injured in Ariz. hotel fight
PHOENIX — Police using Tasers broke up an early morning fight that sent rap impresario Marion "Suge" Knight to an Arizona hospital for treatment of face injuries, authorities said Monday.

Scottsdale police arrested two men after the fracas, which occurred at about 3 a.m. Monday at a private party at the W Scottsdale Hotel.

Robert Carnes Jr., 38, of Bethlehem, Pa., one of the men arrested, identified himself as the business manager of hip-hop star Akon, said police spokesman Sgt. Mark Clark. Akon, who was in Phoenix for the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, was not present during the fight, he said.

Officers arrived to see Carnes twice punch the 43-year-old Knight in the face, Clark said. Knight sustained broken facial bones, he said.

Police booked Carnes and a man identified as Thomas Anderson Jr., 33, of California, on suspicion of assault and disorderly conduct.

Knight was co-founder of Death Row Records, a label that featured such gangsta rap artists as Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dog. New York-based Global Music Group Inc. said on June 24 it purchased Death Row for $24 million.

Knight had filed for bankruptcy in April 2006, claiming debts of more than $100 million.

Knight has a history of legal problems. He was convicted of assault in 1992 and placed on probation, then jailed for five years in 1996 for violating that probation.

He was returned to jail in 2003 for again violating parole, this time by punching a parking attendant at a Hollywood nightclub. He was released the next year.

New reports that it is NOT closing and they are allowing reservations beyond the end of the year. Post mentions K.C. Kavanagh, VP of public relations for W Hotels as the source.

http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/2/17/15427/9900/hotels/Hold_The_Phone_W_Scottsdale_NOT_Closing_at_End_of_ 2009

Police: Rap producer injured in Ariz. hotel fight
PHOENIX — Police using Tasers broke up an early morning fight that sent rap impresario Marion "Suge" Knight to an Arizona hospital for treatment of face injuries, authorities said Monday.

Scottsdale police arrested two men after the fracas, which occurred at about 3 a.m. Monday at a private party at the W Scottsdale Hotel.

Robert Carnes Jr., 38, of Bethlehem, Pa., one of the men arrested, identified himself as the business manager of hip-hop star Akon, said police spokesman Sgt. Mark Clark. Akon, who was in Phoenix for the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, was not present during the fight, he said.

Officers arrived to see Carnes twice punch the 43-year-old Knight in the face, Clark said. Knight sustained broken facial bones, he said.

Police booked Carnes and a man identified as Thomas Anderson Jr., 33, of California, on suspicion of assault and disorderly conduct.

Knight was co-founder of Death Row Records, a label that featured such gangsta rap artists as Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dog. New York-based Global Music Group Inc. said on June 24 it purchased Death Row for $24 million.

Knight had filed for bankruptcy in April 2006, claiming debts of more than $100 million.

Knight has a history of legal problems. He was convicted of assault in 1992 and placed on probation, then jailed for five years in 1996 for violating that probation.

He was returned to jail in 2003 for again violating parole, this time by punching a parking attendant at a Hollywood nightclub. He was released the next year.

I heard about this also, but if you're going to post at least please cite a source.

Given that this is a W and the "frat boy wannabe playa mentality" is prevalent so this could have happened at any W.

Here is a source. Police: Rap producer injured in Ariz. hotel fight (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jYmcFeNTSOA_BQhWJ29cuuJ8gLEAD96D3HOG0)

Just ran across this article in Travel and Leisure online.... Mar 09 according to the print. Guess they haven't heard that this particular property is in trouble.

6 Great Hotel Boutiques (http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/six-great-hotel-boutiques/5)

Has anyone stayed at this property since the foreclosure started? I have a stay coming up in May. Platinum treatment, overall service level, etc etc?

I had 3 C&P stays recently. On 2 out of the 3 I received a suite upgrade. The one stay that I did not get a suite was on a Saturday night and I was upgraded to a Spectacular Room. A lot of locals stay there on Saturday and reserve suites to party. I was told that a one person had wanted to pay for a suite and was turned away. I had to wait a few minutes once check-in for housekeeping to finish cleaning the suite.

There is free 24 hour street parking east of the property on Indian Plaza and Saddlebag Rd (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=7277+E+Camelback+Rd,+Scottsdale,+AZ&ie=UTF8&ll=33.502648,-111.922799&spn=0.00526,0.011373&z=17). The closest ones are 3 hour only. On Saturday night I had to drive around for a few minutes and park a block away.

The there were no issues that I noticed relative to their financial problems.

Thanks, gfowler-ord-1k for the update! Looking forward to my stay there. Looks like I'll have to cross my fingers for a suite upgrade on that Saturday, perhaps if they don't have availability on the Saturday they'll at least upgrade me for 4 out of the 5 days or I'll have to let WScottsdaleInsider know to work his magic! :)

In today's Arizona Republic (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2009/04/13/20090413biz-wscottsdale.html). . .

Foreclosure auction for W Hotel is postponed

by Dawn Gilbertson
The Arizona Republic

The planned trustee's sale for the W Hotel Scottsdale has been postponed a week, a sign the hotel's feuding developer and bank might still be in negotiations to resolve the matter.

The foreclosure auction that was originally scheduled for Wednesday has been moved to April 22, according to the trustee.

German bank HSH Nordbank AG started foreclosure proceedings against W Hotel developer Triyar Hospitality Scottsdale in January, four months after the 224-room hotel opened near Scottsdale Fashion Square. . . (Entire article here.) (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2009/04/13/20090413biz-wscottsdale.html)

So, spent 2 nights at the W Scottsdale this week.

Property is a little smaller than appears on line. Checkin was great. Brigette was wonderful. I booked a standard room and was upgraded to a corner studio. I asked about a WOW and was told the corner studio was as high as they were permtted to do.

Room was nice and stylish. I believe it included use of the in room computer, but I used my laptop.

Issues:

Bitter pill no free water in the room. Was a bottle of Voss with a $6 sticker on it. No fancy shmancy amenity, no snack or anything.

No breakfast, comeon!!!!!

No where to get snacks.... No vending machines.

The room had no outlet convenient to the bed.

Kudos:

Sushi Roku was great

Kobe sliders at bar were great.

Acura took me to a local office and airport the next day

Pool open 24/7

Close to the mall 1-2 blocks away.


If an upgrade from a standard room is important, you may want to use points. The place is packed starting Thursday and DEFNITELY Friday. Brgette said last week there 15 platinums getting no upgrades

Pre-arrival
I cannot enough shower praises and admiration at the W Scottsdale. Mrs. Sleepdoc and I had an almost perfect stay at this swank new hotel. Prior to my arrival I received one of those automated emails from the GM. I replied that we would like massages and to rent one of the cabanas on the weekend. Alyssa, a concierge, emailed me back indicating she would be happy to assist. Unfortunately we were already enroute to Phoenix before I got the email so I didn't use her services. Incidentally the same day at the airport in Milwaukee I received a PM on Flyertalk from the revenue manager of the W who noticed my posting on FT about my upcoming visit there and said she would be pleased to help me with anything. Called her and gave her my information. I noticed prior to our arrival that we were just upgraded to a Spectacular room from a Wonderful room.

Arrival
Ok I must say in comparison to the Midwest and even Dallas, Phoenix is hot! Dry heat! :) PHX needs a little updating though as it seemed a little outdated. Even MKE beats it as far as overall comfort and newness. I rechecked my reservation at the W upon landing and noticed we were now upgraded to a Studio Suite. ^^ Got our rental car from National... initially picked a sporty little convertible only to realize hey the trunk is not going to work for us, then a Eclipse and finally saw a Dodge Challenger pull up. Kind of a muscle looking car though old school. Picked that and up and let me tell you it was the worse rental car I received ever in my life! It smelled like someone had smoked in this thing until they were passed out but what made it worse was someone sprayed all kinds of the anti-smoke spray in this vehicle. This resulted in terrible headaches from the fumes even with short trips. Ended up returning that car the following day for a Mazda 6 as most of the good cars were rented out to ASU grad parents.

Arrived at the W, valets efficient and friendly, valet is $26D as others have noted but I saw there were various public parking spots around the hotel though many had 3-hour limitations. Sushi Roku entrance to the right entering directly into the sushi bar area. Straight ahead thru the glass doors that were always opened by the valet/bellhop guys you hardly had to open it yourselves except in the wee hours of the morning. A large W dog water bowl to the right of the glass entrance. Didn't see any dogs during our stay there but it is a dog friendly hotel if you have Fido with you. Up above facing out from the hotel you will see the large see through portholes to the pool above.

Pool portholes from the entrance
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2036/3544608482_0ce50bbec9_b.jpg

Inside to the right were stairs up to the pool area. The stairs are roped off during the busy periods of Thurs-Sun and only hotel guests and people with rooftop reservations can get in I believe. Also in this area is the Scottsdale version of the Living Room and the hotel entrance into Sushi Roku.

Living Room and just to left Stairs to Heaven! :)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/3544607120_e2f2d7f0c3_b.jpg

Met at the front desk by Karen who already knew my name and called me the appropriate Dr. Sleepdoc. I was introduced to Gladys who is one of the managers along with a couple of other hotel workers. All very nice. There is a decanter of fruit infused iced cold water to the side of the desk as well as a big bowl of green apples during the day. A small amount of coffee is also available at the desk in the morning before Sushi Roku opens for breakfast service. Karen noted my Platinum status and asked about my chosen amenity, which I opted for points and then informed me I was upgraded to a Studio Suite, as I had already known. :) Went up to our suite with luggage in tow by one of the bellhops.

W Desk
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2473/3543798513_2a2dee9338_b.jpg


Studio Suite
Arrived at 258. Essentially, a large 600 square foot corner suite. Bathroom that can be closed off with Shoji doors otherwise an open sink area with the toilet to the left and shower to the right of the sink. In the corner closet to the bathroom there is a small sitting area. Large closets to the far left when you walk in, desk and living room to the far right. There's a flat screen TV that has a handy swivel that can turn to face the bed or the couches. From what I was told, the only difference between a Studio and a Corner Suite was that the Studios were facing the neighborhoods and the Corners facing the pool otherwise they are the same.

Studio Suite
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2331/3544608870_865022a32c_b.jpg

Neighborhood/Mtn view from suite
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2298/3543799015_33cbe5e55e_b.jpg


Our bellhop got our bags situated and retrieved some ice as well as turning down the temp in the room, as it was hot! He said that the temps were automatically dialed to keep the room to 68, which I found a little hard to believe. Essentially one of the Inncom motion sensor thermostats that will turn off automatically but this can be bypassed using the VIP mode.

Bathroom with single center sink
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2300/3543800275_57f51b5b43_o.jpg

The desk has a large flat screen computer. I was not charged for use of the computer. Not sure if it was just included in the suite and charged elsewhere. To large purple couches, actually quite comfy for 4 people. One of them pops open into a full-size bed. Table in the center with the usual munchies box. In the two large closets there are safe as well as large area to hang clothes. We had to call to get some more hangars from W/W. No problem. Only problem there was a bare minimum of drawer space. Only two drawers were by the sink. I would and will suggest that they put a small set of drawers in one unused wall to the left of the bathroom. By the bed there was the usual Ipod hookup. There was a Bose system, which unfortunately does not hook up to the Ipod and only to the DVD/CD system with a bunch of small speakers, scattered thru the room.

Karen our FDA called up and asked how we liked the room. Loved it of course! Shortly after Room Service showed with a plate of cheese, crackers, and a decent bottle of red and letter from the GM. Much appreciated!

A short time a later I placed a call and talked to Garrett another concierge. He made some great suggestions throughout our stay at the hotel and also made arrangements for restaurant reservations, Acura car service (now driven by W hotel employees), directions to Camelback Mtn for hiking, as well as making cabana reservations for us on a very busy Saturday.

Additional Welcome Amenity
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2407/3543799629_6a3d46f246_b.jpg

Sushi Roku
We subsequently went down to the Sushi Roku for happy hour and sushi. Restaurant space itself seemed trendy and comfortable enough. Sushi bar to the front of the restaurant. Maybe it was an off night but I found the sushi very dull and perhaps past it's prime. Much of it tasted beyond room temperature. Service was good but I cannot suggest it for food quality from our perspective. I've had far better sushi elsewhere IMO.

Couple of B/W's Sushi Roku
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2340/3543798853_c2d31a6c70_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2372/3544609286_a3f0b1707d_b.jpg

After dinner Gladys the manager stopped us and inquired about our stay so far. She noted that suite 258 got a little noisy on weekends and offered to move us to an identical suite on the 6th floor which we extremely grateful for the unsolicited offer! Suite 658 was identical to 258 and as promised was quiet even on the weekends.

Pool
As I said above the pool is relatively quiet during the week and no reservations are required to rent the seats. An outside company runs it, but bookings of the cabanas and charges can be still made back to your room. For someone on leisure wanting a nice relaxing place to stay then this pool and hotel is great for you during the week.

Starting on Thursday it definitely picks up however on Friday and especially Saturday the place is an absolutely zoo! Reservations are suggested for covered seating areas staring on Thursday, which does not require a minimum fee I believe. Cabanas can be rented with either plain iced Voss bottled water and fruit bowl or for an additional minimum amount bottle or cocktail service with personal service can be made. The cabanas have a flat screen TV as well as ceiling fans with seating for 4-8 people. In addition two cabanas have uncovered attached sunny areas that one can use to soak up the sun in private. My wife and I had a couple of friends over and we had a blast using the cabana on Saturday. We were fortunate to get one of the large cabanas with attached sunny corner and made full use of it and the pool. There were people absolutely everywhere on Saturday in the pool, every seat occupied, and parts of sand occupied by beautiful women and men alike. My point is if you want a happening place than this is the place to come on the weekends. I would highly recommend renting one of the cabanas as it well worth avoiding the crowds and having a sheltered place of your own plus having personalized service too. Our waitress was great as well as the manager of the pool Casey.

A calmer side of the pool
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2082/3544607424_5857aa7073_b.jpg

Corner Cabana apologize the fact of the lack of overall view of the cabana.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2383/3543798065_170691e3ba_b.jpg

I forgot to mention that the gym is located on the 2nd floor next to the pool pass the suites or rooms with outdoor showers and patios. In the mornings they open up the gyms sliding glass doors allowing some fresh air and subsequently close them as the heat index rises. There are 3 treadmills, a few ellipticals, standard weight machines, and a small assortment of free weights. Kind of a small gym, I expected bigger but nevertheless quite useful and with new equipment.

Foreclosure
So I was curious on the status of the foreclosure proceedings on the W Scottsdale. I haven’t looked up any recent articles but I can tell you the hotel seemed full during our 5-day stay there. Every morning at least on the 6th floor all the doors had papers or do not disturb signs. In addition the pool, Living Room, and hotel seemed to thrive throughout the week but as mentioned more so on the weekends. I asked a couple of employees what they thought was going. And we told that this would always be a W hotel and that Starwood was now running the show there now. Made me wonder if this could become a successful corporate owned hotel?

Conclusion
My wife and I had an absolutely great time at this hotel. Service was top notch from the valets to the managers. I was kind of surprised I was contact via PM on this website but who knows maybe it made my stay even nicer? I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone that wants the W experience without the attitude. We were quite sad when we left this past Sunday but hopefully will return soon. Phoenix may possible end up on the job hunt. Who knows! It would be a darn shame if this property closed. Starwood needs to keep this in their portfolio! If there are any questions be free to ask!

To provide an alternate view of the hotel, I'll offer my recent experience:

Booked it the night before and drove down, but before leaving my house I printed the available rooms for booking list. I did this because I rarely get upgraded, and I've had recent situations where I know the hotel is not upgrading despite availability. Arrived at the hotel to check-in and was told there were no suites available. Odd, since the list I'd just printed 2 hours earlier had every single suite type available for booking. (I mentioned this at check-in and was told nothing else was available). The place was crowded already at 8pm.

Got in the room and it was kind of like "meh". Not great, not terrible - I liked the rock wall thing in the bathroom. Left the hotel to go get some dinner and on the way there decided to call the Plat line to see what was up. "I'd like a suite for one night for one person" I said and they magically had available every single suite (it was now about 9pm). So I call back to the hotel, ask for a manager, and then ask the gentleman I spoke to whether they participated in the SPG program and provided the plat benefit to upgrade to select standard suites. He replied that they did, I asked what they considered standard, and he responded everything up to the spa suites. I related my earlier conversations to him and he apologized and immediately offered to confirm me in a suite (I requested the spa suite). He warned me that only one was available, and it was near the night club, so it would be loud until around 1:30am. No problem, I've got no plans.

I returned to the hotel and couldn't even get inside - there were so many people outside standing around the front door. I edged my way up there and since I was poorly dressed by comparison and carrying my bags, the bouncer guy finally ushered me in.

Long story short, I get up to the room and it's literally almost exactly the same room as before, just more square feet and with a bathtub. I note that the room itself is quite noisy because it's got hard surface flooring and sheetrock walls with not much on them (just an observation, not a ding). There's hair in the shower and bathtub, and the sink has a disconcerting yellow dried-in stain in the corner. They've put me in an ADA room without asking/warning me (I dislike them, and don't wish to prevent someone with a legitimate need from getting them). The ADA room has no door for the toilet, nor a door for the shower.

I'll interrupt now with a few photos:

The floorplan for floor 2:
http://www.biatphotography.com/ft/tripreports/2009/05/wscottsdale/floorplan.jpg

Bed and Entry:
http://www.biatphotography.com/ft/tripreports/2009/05/wscottsdale/bed.jpg

Sitting Area:
http://www.biatphotography.com/ft/tripreports/2009/05/wscottsdale/sitting.jpg

Work Desk / TV / Minibar:
http://www.biatphotography.com/ft/tripreports/2009/05/wscottsdale/desk.jpg

Sink:
http://www.biatphotography.com/ft/tripreports/2009/05/wscottsdale/sink.jpg

Toiletries:
http://www.biatphotography.com/ft/tripreports/2009/05/wscottsdale/toiletries.jpg

Toilet:
http://www.biatphotography.com/ft/tripreports/2009/05/wscottsdale/toilet.jpg

Shower:
http://www.biatphotography.com/ft/tripreports/2009/05/wscottsdale/shower.jpg

Bathtub:
http://www.biatphotography.com/ft/tripreports/2009/05/wscottsdale/bath.jpg

The noise didn't stop until 3:30am (come on - that's ridiculous for a hotel - even a swank one), and what no one warned me about was that the plumbing for the bathrooms at the night club/bar (whatever's immediately to your right as you walk in the front) is on the shared wall, so EVERY TIME someone flushed the toilet, you'd hear a pressurized water sound. I finally gave up trying to get some work done and just listened to some music on the (nice) Bose system.

Since it was so noisy, I decided to step outside and enjoy the peace of the Zen garden... :p (it is pretty cool at night, BTW):
http://www.biatphotography.com/ft/tripreports/2009/05/wscottsdale/cactus.jpg

One final oddity was the TV - it's advertised as being a 42" flat panel TV, but it doesn't look like it's 42". And the sticker on the side of the TV with the model number starts with 37 - leading me to believe it's a 37" TV. Not a big deal, but you'd think they'd be able to properly advertise the in-room features.

So I'm not particularly impressed with the property, and I wouldn't go out of my way to stay there again unless I could be assured of 1) not having to fight for an upgrade and 2) having a clean room. I was looking forward to this being a great property to pop down to on weekends or between trips, but based on this (admittedly single) experience, I wouldn't return.

To their credit, the staff (except for the housekeeping person who came up at 12am to clean the shower/bathtub) was friendly, courteous, and seemed to genuinely care - even the lady who checked me in and apparently lied to me about the upgrades. At checkout, I was asked about my stay and recounted the above, whereupon the lady apologized and reduced the room rate. I certainly can't fault the staff for their positive attitudes and attempt at service recovery, but I am surprised that no one made any attempts on the night of my check-in to see how things were or to quickly resolve issues.

And of course, no cheese, crackers, wine, or welcome letter for me... :(, but plenty of whine to go around... :)

Well Hello There,

Dr. Sleep Doc,

I am glad you had a pleasant stay and enjoyed the Scottsdale area. It seems as if you were treated well and I know they look forward to welcoming you back again.

vysean,

I am sorry the W Scottsdale did not exceed your standards in providing a proper platinum upgrade. They should have not told you there were no suites available as it clearly seems there were. I hope you give the W Scottsdale another try.

Just stayed at this property a couple of weekends ago and was definitely WOWed in W style. Rates for this summer have been surprisingly low. I got a rate of $119 (plus tax) per night. Can anyone give me an update on this "foreclosure" nonsense?

My son and I had an awful stay at the W last Friday. We got our folio emailed to us the next day (at the Wild Horse, where we moved to from the W) and the GM's email from the W was on there, so I wrote him or her a long email (below). That immediately bounced even though I wrote within an hour of the hotel sending me folio that had that email for the GM on it. I guess with a hotel this bad it should not surprise me that they are sending out folios with an incorrect email address for the GM on them!

I held off posting this here til I got a corrected email address and sent it to the GM. Here's what I wrote:

We were offered no platinum amenity or upgrade at check in. We were told we couldn't go to the pool. Karen asked what view we wanted and I told her I just wanted the biggest and best room possible. So she suggested that "pool view" was the best. But our room, 412, did not have a "pool view" unless you leaned your head out the window. And when we did, what we saw was scary--basically a rowdy nightclub scene in and around the pool! The room was not to our taste, but worse yet it was absolutely tiny and with inadequate air conditioning, we never got the room cool.

When I attempted to park my car I was told my only choices were to park on the street or let a valet park it. I don't let other people drive my car, so I drove it down to the garage myself, which got me yelled at. This is America, it's not Europe, and a man should be able to park his own car! It makes me sick to think of some kid driving my bimmer. To be forced to let them park my car AND pay them $26 is an outrage. That alone would be enough to insure we never set foot in your hotel again.

When the bellman heard some of our gripes on the way to the room, after I gave him a generous tip despite my upset with the hotel, he said that he'd try to make it up to us, particularly my son for whom going to the pool is the biggest attraction of a hotel. He said he'd send up "a bunch of kids stuff" for Isaac. I wasn't sure what he meant, but he told Isaac he was going to do something nice for him and I appreciated that. That helped calm him down and let me get my work done on the computer (my laptop I mean--our room didn't come with so much as a coffee makerm, never mind a computer like others have mentioned). Well, nothing ever came, no call, no apology, nothing. What kind of twisted human being promises something to an innocent child then reneges? That is sick!

We both slept horribly in the heat of the room. I soaked my bed with sweat. I could get a room with actual air conditioning that works for just about what you charged me to park my CAR, never mind the cost of the ROOM.

I have traveled enough that I worry about the hotel alarm clocks waking me so I unplug them and stick them in the closet. Well this alarm clock went off and woke me early in the AM from the closet--I guess running on a batteries, a first in my experience. Then I found there is no way to make the room dark because of all the light coming in through the bathroom window.

I thought I could at least take my son to the pool during the day, but when we looked down there after breakfast, holy crap. There were like 100 people standing in the pool drinking and chatting. There was absolutely no room for a family to play at all. I don't think all those people could possibly be staying at the hotel? Is the pool for hotel guests, or for the local population to use as a singles bar? My observations suggest the latter.

Then today when we called for a bellman to help us check out, we sat and waited and waited and waited. The maids walked in, but no bellman ever came. Finally, we gave up and hauled all our own stuff down. My 8 year old and I were visibly struggling with heavy bags. The bellmen stood chatting with one another in the driveway and made almost no effort to help us. What is wrong with your employees? Why didn't they come to the room to help with luggage and earn tips? I was too pissed to talk to anyone and did not want my son to see me blow up or use foul language so I drove away.

Now, we're at the Wild Horse where they upgraded us to a very nice suite, the bellman brought us cold water as he helped us unpack the car. He helped us very graciously, the staff are warm and kind. So then I check my email and find that the W has sent me a folio charging for something we did not use from the mini bar. That's the last straw. Your hotel is awful. I think Starwood should kick you out of their program if you continue to treat guests this way. I've stayed at some really bad Starwoods over the years, some 4 Points are real dives. But your property really takes the cake by being BRAND NEW and obviously having spent a ton of money but not even being able to provide basic amenities like parking, a pool, working air conditioning, etc.

Please remove the charge for the mini bar item. We did not use the mini bar. And you owe my son and me a real apology for the awful behavior of your bell staff, promising him stuff then sending nothing is just low, low, low. I'd like a refund for parking and for at least half the room charge I paid. What you do with your pool, your air conditioning and your parking are obviously your business, but I think you should warn people before they reserve that 1) the pool is not for kids or families; 2) the rooms have limited air conditioning available and should be considered a form of weight loss sauna rather than lodging and 3) that drivers cannot self park and must pay $28 to park in a city where no other business has such a stupid policy. Starwood should require that these things be revealed along with the room rate. I'm going to send this to Starwood and post it to FlyerTalk as well.

By the way, the gal who checked us in was very kind and while she refused us an upgrade and gave us a horrible room, and forgot the platinum amenity, she did remember to ask if we'd like a late checkout. That was very kind and is unusual even at well run hotels so I want to give her credit there. Unfortunately she didn't set our keys to last til the late checkout so we had to go get them rekeyed. Still, our interactions with her were superior to those with other staff.

Best regards, Steffo

Wow, I'd be pretty surprised if you get a decent response to that letter. IMHO, poorly written, short on facts and really makes you look like a whiney guest. Unfortunately, that's going to over shadow the legit complaints you have.

I thought I could at least take my son to the pool during the day, but when we looked down there after breakfast, holy crap. There were like 100 people standing in the pool drinking and chatting. There was absolutely no room for a family to play at all. I don't think all those people could possibly be staying at the hotel? Is the pool for hotel guests, or for the local population to use as a singles bar? My observations suggest the latter.

U should walk to front desk, demand to speak to manager on duty. Ask the manager to remove all the people from the pool so that you and your son can enjoy the pool by yourself. :D

Wow, I'd be pretty surprised if you get a decent response to that letter. IMHO, poorly written, short on facts and really makes you look like a whiney guest. Unfortunately, that's going to over shadow the legit complaints you have.

I think it's fine letter. This sort of thing encapsulates why, though a loyal SPG member, if I never stay at another W for the rest of my life I won't miss it.

Steffo, sorry to hear you and your son had a horrible time at the W Scottsdale. From your post it seems like a comedy of errors that led to an overall bad time. You obviously been a member on Flyertalk for a long time, did you by chance talk to any managers during your stay there? Friday and Saturdays are definitely the busiest days at the W and the pool is quite raucous as you noted.... definitely not the time for family unless your son is a teenager! They do let people outside of the W use the pool/bar and not just hotel guests. One has to have a seating reservation at the pool on the weekends. During the week it's much much calmer and could be a decent place to stay with family. Did you ever see the Bellman that promised the items for your son? I'm glad that Karen was pleasant and at least sort of helped you out during check-in. She seemed to be very on top of the ball when she checked my wife and I in during our stay there. Anyways, let us know what transpires. Perhaps I'm a minority but I've always have had great stays at all the W's I've stayed at... but I guess you have to like the whole concept of the W hotel brand as my wife and I do.

Who would stay at a W Hotel with an 8 year old kid? :confused: That was your first problem.

Wow, I'd be pretty surprised if you get a decent response to that letter. IMHO, poorly written, short on facts and really makes you look like a whiney guest. Unfortunately, that's going to over shadow the legit complaints you have.

Bigbopper, would you be willing to help me learn to write a better letter? I was quite exhausted when I did it--traveling with my son I mainly have time for such things after he is asleep, and having endured a very poor sleep the prior night at the W I was pretty bleary eyed. I hope never to have such a complaint to write a letter about again, but if I do may I contact you for some pointers or perhaps help editing the letter? I'd be most appreciative of help!

Steffo, sorry to hear you and your son had a horrible time at the W Scottsdale. From your post it seems like a comedy of errors that led to an overall bad time. Anyways, let us know what transpires. Perhaps I'm a minority but I've always have had great stays at all the W's I've stayed at... but I guess you have to like the whole concept of the W hotel brand as my wife and I do.

Sleepdoc, thank you for your thoughtful and gracious reply. I have had some enjoyable stays at W with kids. I've stayed at the Newark, CA W quite a few times and it's actually a hotel that I like a lot. I stayed in one of the early W's, a rebadged 4 Points in New Orleans and that was awful, but I took that to be 1) a rebadged 4 Points and 2) New Orleans, and not necessarily reflective of the brand.

The W Newark is certainly a comfortable and family friendly hotel where they have always recognized my plat status with an upgrade to a corner room and where the quiet pool and spa being open 24 hours are a big draw for us. A/C isn't crucial in Newark, CA ;) but my perception is that it has always worked well in that hotel; all the rooms are fairly big; parking is free and plentiful; and the staff quite gracious to me and my son. I was hoping for something like that in Scottsdale! I don't think I was crazy to hope that or take my son there.

I appreciate you being so gracious, Sleepdoc. People are laughing at me for taking my son to a W and being surprised that the hotel seems like a night club, but there really isn't anything on their website (at least that I noted) to convey things like the pool being part of a bar on weekends. Certainly that was not the case at the other W's I have stayed at, even the one in New Orleans--I remember the pool there having awful music on but I was the only one in it.

It's actually pretty hilarious having someone suggest taking my 8 year old to a W was a mistake! My son has been to Bonnaroo and been on tour with the Dead. He's lived in a motorhome and toured with the band and gone in for the sound checks and eaten from the crew buffet and lived the life of a kid on tour! A lot of what goes on at the W is probably pretty tame stuff. BUT, there's a crucial difference--when you go to a Dead show, you expect to see people trippin and you are prepared. When you check in to your hotel and find that "cocktail attire" is required to visit the pool, well, that shocked me--I honestly thought she was joking! I lived on the road with the Dead a long time, and often we'd get banned from a city because someone saw licentious behavior going on around our shows. I'm certainly not a prude and I don't want to shut down anyone else's good time, not at all. If people are happy and having fun, I am all for it. "Make Love, not War" or "Drop acid, not bombs" as they say.

Obviously some of the issues we encountered: inadequate air conditioning; bellman saying he'd send stuff up for Isaac then not doing so, are just poor facilities and service on the hotel's part. Other things, like the pool being used for a nightclub, are fine, IF you expect it! My son and I had no earthly reason to expect that--we planned for a quiet swim and test of some new snorkel gear we are taking to GCM this week. How on Earth would we have known what it would be like there? Are the pools at all the other W's except the 2 I've stayed at used that way? Did they send me an email telling me to expect this stuff and I ignored it, or what? Why do people think I should have known it would be like this?

We stay in PHX quite often, in fact the majority of my stays to earn plat status yearly are in that area. We mainly choose the Wild Horse or the Phoenician. I was hoping the W would be another nice place that would give us the choice to stay in a different neighborhood. It's OK that it's not to my taste, I don't need to go there again and those who like it can enjoy it. But whether or not I ever go there again, the fact is we were treated badly there and even if my letter is no good or whiney, that is the fact of the matter.

I hope nobody else is treated poorly there and I wish everyone who goes there a fantastic time, like we have at the Wild Horse which suits us really well. The Phoenix area is truly blessed to have so many Starwoods to choose from, including some fantastic ones. And there are more set to open soon as well, and there is a good chance I will at least try the Element, even after this bad experience--one still has to try new things I think. So it's perfect Scottsdale should have something like the W which clearly does have a following and a niche in the market. I just hope they'll be confident enough of themselves and their niche to put good warnings on their website so that when someone like me tries to book he'll have his expectations adjusted accordingly!

Sleepdoc, thank you for your thoughtful and gracious reply. I have had some enjoyable stays at W with kids....

Bonnarroo with the kids eh? Go to the last one in TN? Funny my buddy and I were just talking about it and how he said when it first started the "atmosphere" at Bonnarroo was different per say. He still loves it though. Well, sounds like your kid has seen a lot then in his 8 years... a well traveled boy! And hey, Dead tours, crew buffets? What are ya a groupie or band member? :)

I can certainly understand about the atmosphere at the different W's and yeah you're right the W Scottsdale is probably unusual as far as the pool scene with nightclub atmosphere. When I say it was a zoo on the Friday and Saturday we were there, it was really really bad but we were prepared for it and actually welcomed it on those two nights. We had our relaxing time at the W during the week before the madness began. It actually felt like the Dallas scene or LA type of atmosphere. Too bad you didn't read my post otherwise you could've come prepared for at least that portion of your stay. But you're right there is no inkling of the madness the W experiences on the weekends on the website. The only way you would know is if you asked someone or read previous reviews of the place. Granted it's kind of expected to have some sort of scene or party atmosphere in the general Living Room areas of the W as well as special clubs like Ghost Bar at the W Dallas, Whisky Sky at the W Lakeshore Chicago or even the laid back scene of the Prohibition Bar at the W MSP.

We actually had problems with our AC as well during our stay... might have been might fault though as I set the thermostat to the VIP mode setting so I could cool the room down as low as possible! Perhaps you had the thermostat that I broke? Just kidding.... I can see the room getting unbearably hot... those damn Inncom thermostats have a motion detector usually associated with it and the AC will shut off if you say don't move for a while like when you're sleeping or if you're out of the room out and about. Plus you can only set it so low.

Regardless you had a terrible stay and it unfortunately didn't compare to our great stay that my wife and I had there. Hopefully something good will come out of this.... perhaps a gentle letter to CS to start a file? I'll have to try the Wild Horse the next time we're out in Scottsdale... your experiences there were definitely for the better! By the way, you must have been wide awake when you wrote your last post. Made total sense compared to BigBoppers evaluation of your 1st post! :D

I'll try to say more in the AM as I am very tired, but I wanted to post right away that I received a gracious apology from the hotel just now. I felt it was a very fast and gracious reply. I think there have only been 2 other times I emailed a Starwood GM, one was many years ago and I don't really remember; the other was last year and it took weeks to get a reply IIRC. So I was very pleased to have a prompt apology, and I wanted to immediately give the hotel credit for that here.

Sleepdoc I'll try to make it back tomorrow and reply to your post. If you or your wife like spas, I cannot recommend the Wild Horse spa enough. My wife is a massage therapist and a real connoisseur of massage treatments and the Wild Horse spa is her favorite. She's especially big on the Watsu treatments there I think.

It's also my favorite Starwood pool area in the world that I can think of right now. I preferred the Orchid at Mauna Lani, but that's no longer a Starwood. I haven't been to any of the Cat7 resorts and I am sure there are better ones out there, but the Wild Horse is very, very nice in this regard!

The friendliness of the staff, and the ambience of the place including lovely Native American paintings and crafts for decoration (some made by local school children) are important to making it feel like a home there in a way that no other hotel has ever felt to me.

Bigbopper, would you be willing to help me learn to write a better letter? I was quite exhausted when I did it--traveling with my son I mainly have time for such things after he is asleep, and having endured a very poor sleep the prior night at the W I was pretty bleary eyed.

If you have a bad stay and have already moved somewhere else I would write a letter but let it sit on my laptop for couple of days. Then have a look at it from a business point of view and try to make it as short as possible by leaving the emotional crap away and just stick to the main points.

i.e.

- Air conditioning didn't work properly
- Extras promised by the bellman for the kid were not delivered
- Pool scene during the weekend prevented us from using it

Quick trip (arrived PHX 1100a Thursday 06/18/09 and departed 700a Friday 06/19/09).

Terrific hotel.
Staff very friendly and helpful.
On 6/18/09 walked over to PF Chang for a quick bit to eat.
Room service around 300a evening of 06/18/09 was very good and the selection available 24 hours is excellent.
Room 427 - good size and the water pressure / temperature was the best. AC worked great.
Pool area 06/18/09 evening was crowded and interesting.

Upon getting laid off, and hearing of my Uncles death, both within an hour, I booked a flight to Pheonix last weekend for the services. After some thinking, I decided to utilize my last free weekend night at the W just to get my worries out. I invited my brother and sister-in-law to come with.

The day before our arrivial I recieved a call welcoming me to the hotel and asking what was bringing me to town. I mentioned that my family was in town for a funeral, but would be utilizing the room as a break from everything.

We arrived Saturday night about 10 pm. The hotel is very much a "club" atmosphere. Lobby was pretty loud, but very cool. Service at the front desk was awesome. The front desk staff informed us that we had been upgraded to a Studio Suite.

Upon walking into the room, on the desk right by the room door was 3 yellow roses in a vase and a sympathy card that was signed by the whole front desk staff.. This was very, very, very appreciated! ^

We walked into the suite and it was very nice. Bose surround sound with a sub-woofer, 42 inch flat screen tv, receiver, and a doc to connect my iPhone to the Bose speakers. The room had a queen sized foam mattress pull out sofa, as well as a king size bed. I loved the design, colors, and furniture in the rooms!

The room also had two window panes that pulled open to enjoy the fresh air, and gorgeous views of Scottsdale. Location was very nice. We walked to Martini Ranch for a few drinks, brought back some Joes NY Pizza back to the room.

I had never stayed in a W hotel (stay in a Westin every week). I was very very very impressed and really enjoyed my stay! I am looking forward to my next W stay in South Beach on Labor Day Weekend!

Heyo FT,

I’m headed down to the W Scottsdale this weekend and I’m wondering if any other Platinums have used their free weekend nights there and what their upgrade success has been.

I have only stayed at a W once before, W ATL-Buckhead, and I have to say the experience was a mixed one. I felt as if the staff really talked a good service game, but did not follow through (many service missteps including being lied to about an upgrade, escorted to my room by two bouncers when I misplaced my wallet and didn’t have keys or id, only to be told that they would not issue me a new key, etc.). I was asked about my stay (unsolicited) by the front desk manager who was very nice and gracious (and offered up some points, again unsolicited), so I am going to try the W brand again. I guess I fall into the demographic they are trying to attract (20s, relatively successful, looking for more of a party atmosphere), but with all of the time I spend on the road, I have pretty high expectations for hotels and service. My buddy who is travelling with me and I are hoping to have a good experience in Scottsdale as we are both due for some r&r…and perhaps a little partying. I’ll report back after my stay.

http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2009/10/23/the-scottsdale-w-escapes-foreclosure/

paid off their mortgage, and must have plan to pay off any other debts

will be interesting to see what happens with residences

My wife and I stayed here recently on a Sunday night. It was our first time at a W and since we are around 50, didn't know quite what to expect. We loved it! Checking was fine but when we got to our room my wife noticed that it smelled like cigarette smoke! As Tyler was getting us some ice, my wife spotted the culprit: a plastic Fiji bottle with a half dozen cigarette butts in it poking out from under the bed! Luckily, Tyler had just returned and he apologized profusely and saw to it that we got another room immediately. I was hoping for a suite since it was kind of gross but wasn't that big of a deal. Anyway he offered to pick up dessert for us later which was nice.

Awhile later a girl from the front desk called and apologized again and said they would like to send some chips and salsa up (which never materialized). I didn't pursue it because we were going to Sushi Roku downstairs anyway. My wife had never had sushi before and really had no interest in it. That changed at the Sushi bar and I think we have a new devotee now. Tyler made good on the desert which I was impressed with because he had left for the day and there were just so many potential breakdowns-in-communication possible. It's not something that we need (free food), I just like it when someone follows through on what they say they are going to do. And he did, much to his credit. Shows great ownership.

The only thing I didn't like was the size of the rooms. if you have a couple good size pieces of luggage it can get quite cramped. Liked the LCD TV a lot- I really hate the crappy old CRT's that are still in so many rooms in other hotels. Loved the background music in the lobby and the general feel of the place even though it was kind of dead (which was fine with us - it was Sunday after all). We'd definitely stay here again.

I will be there only 1 night, a Sunday. Suggestions on upgrades? Anyway to not get charged the valet fee if you have a buddy stop by -- i.e. free, safe parking on the street, nearby, etc.?

Bars at the hotel on Sunday night?

Restaurants near the hotel, walking distance, etc.? I know the mall is across the street.

Anything else, people would like to suggest. :D